Ask Food Network’s Duff Goldman what the best cake flavor out there is, and he’ll say boxed cake mix “can’t be beat.” The rest of us can’t get enough of boxed cake mix either, which is why we’re always looking for ways to upgrade the classic dessert (like adding ricotta to make the cake fluffier, infusing matcha to balance out the sweetness, or pouring in a little brewed tea).
We recently caught up with the Ace of Cakes star before he headed to Miami’s annual South Beach Wine & Food Festival and took the opportunity to quiz him about exactly how he elevates boxed cake mix. His sweet answer is one that we’re going to be trying immediately.
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Why You Should Add Apples and Cinnamon to Boxed Cake Mix
Goldman recommends adding some fruit and spice to your boxed cake mix to take it to the next level. “Toss in some chopped up apples and some cinnamon, and do an apple cinnamon cake—or swirl in some caramel or butterscotch,” he said. The Kids Baking Championship judge describes boxed cake mix as “very resilient,” allowing you to get creative with different ingredients while you’re baking. Think of it as a blank canvas for your favorite ingredients and flavors.
Apples and cinnamon are a classic pairing in many dessert recipes, including the all-American apple pie. The tartness of the fruit is balanced by the warmth of the spice. Add some brown sugar and a little bit of butter and you’ve got an unbeatable combination. Going one step further by incorporating caramel or butterscotch builds on the rich, buttery flavor.
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How To Add Apples and Cinnamon To Boxed Cake Mix
First, you need to choose your boxed cake mix flavor. Goldman didn’t specify, but we think either a yellow cake mix, white cake mix or spice cake mix would be a good match for the apples and cinnamon.
“Take some apples and dice them, fry them up in a little butter, a little sugar, a little cinnamon, and toss, toss, toss,” Goldman explains. Goldman didn’t offer specific measurements, so this is more of a choose-your-own adventure endeavor. If you like substantial pieces of fruit in your dessert, you can peel your apples and chop them into 1/2-inch-ish cubes. Cook the fruit in butter until tender with some cinnamon and white or brown sugar to taste. Don’t forget to add a pinch of salt to the apples to balance out the flavors.
If you prefer that the apples be more incorporated in the cake, you can peel and grate an apple, then cook the grated apple with the butter, cinnamon and sugar until the fruit softens.
Goldman suggests cooking apples until “they get some color on them.” If the apple mixture is very juicy, you might want to use a slotted spoon to transfer the fruit to the cake mix, then fold it into the cake batter. (Too much extra moisture can make the cake a little soggy.) Save any buttery, sugary goodness that’s left in the pan for drizzling over the finished cake.
At this point, you can add some caramel or butterscotch chips or even some toffee pieces (or finely chopped toffee) to the batter. This sweet addition will give your cake a caramel apple vibe.
For a fun finishing touch, the television personality suggests topping the cake with a simple streusel. Should you want to try that out, you can try the streusel that’s part of this apple-oat muffin recipe. The craggy, buttery streusel adds texture and flavor to your dressed up boxed cake and pushes it into coffee cake territory, in case you want or need an excuse to serve your sweet creation at brunch.
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